NHS Wales sees summer rise in 'inappropriate' 999 calls

Men dialling 999 to report hangovers are among a list of "inappropriate" calls putting emergency services under "sustained pressure", NHS Wales says.

The Welsh Ambulance Service have seen a rise in such calls this summer, with A&E departments already very busy.

Other 999 calls include a man wanting ointment rubbed on his back and a woman bitten on her finger by a hamster.

A Welsh government spokesman said the examples it cited of inappropriate 999 calls were "anecdotal".

Dr Chris Jones, NHS Wales' medical director, said 999 should only be used in medical emergencies.

We are seeing a growing number of inappropriate emergency calls to the ambulance serviceDr Chris Jones, Acting chief medical officer

No reason is given for the rise in inappropriate calls, but NHS Wales says "a combination of increased 999 call volumes and a rise in attendances at emergency departments has caused increased pressure over the past few weeks".

Examples include:

A woman who dialled 999 after being bitten on the finger by a hamster

Two separate 999 calls for males with hangovers after a night out

Patients dialling 999 in the afternoon after alcohol wears off and they find themselves in pain from injuries the night before

A woman who said she was bleeding badly from her hand - and the ambulance crew discovered she had a minor scratch from her cat

A man who had been given ointment by his GP rang 999 to report a back problem. When the ambulance crew arrived, he said: "I haven't got anyone to rub this ointment on my back."

A man was taken by ambulance to University Hospital, Wales, Cardiff, after reporting stomach pains in a pub. On arrival at A&E he ran off, shouting: "Thanks for the lift mate."